No consensualanswer hasbeengiven to thesequestions.For some,the founder of theU.N.I.T.A. wasa great
man,but for others, he was almost a devil.ThePortuguese journalistFernandoEmidiohasmany facetsin his book: "Jonas Savimbi: Behind the
history," published 10 yearsafter his death.This bookclearly showsthat "the
one trueambitionof this manwas to becomepresident".Healways
hadan inordinateambition,and thisfrom the beginning.In short,since 1960, he had approachedthe M.P.L.A.but saidhe wanted to bethe vice presidentof the movement,becausehe already knewAgostinhoNetowas a
charismaticleader. After being rejectedby
the M.P.L.A., he will integratethe
U.P.A.,thentheF.N.L.A., whichhe willhold the post offoreign ministerin exile.In fact, he will use theF.N.L.A., from his address bookand moneyof this movementto foundU.N.I.T.A..And
hecreates thismovement inhis thoughts, plans and strategies arehis andthe branchmilitaryU.N.I.T.A.iscreated by him.From there, heis undoubtedly thePresidentof U.N.I.T.A.,becausethat's whateveryone
thinks, and because he isthe
best educatedpersonin the
movement,but because herequires
that thisbe so,and he willteachitover the
years.

He Killed his comradesto stay on topof U.N.I.T.A..In the 60s, feeling threatened by management,he killsthe leaderswho foundedU.N.I.T.A.in
theeighties, he repeats the same
operation, he kills a figurehead, Tito ChingujeBailundooutcome
ofa familyveryconsideredin Angola,onlyin order toretain powerinU.N.I.T.A..Then,dreaming of becomingpresidentof Angola, he will signan agreement with thePortuguese colonial rulebefore independence,
under which, he revealstroop movements
of M.P.L.A. plans and ralliesPortuguese troopsto fight thisliberation movement; he signed apact withthe Portuguese troopswith the promise tobecome governorof the province ofMoxico, beforerealizingthat
Portugalneverrespectedthe agreement andfinally decided tobreak it.Andthen in theeighties,
he says he wantsa multiparty system,because simply, he looks outside support,
but in fact he does not reallyno such
intention. Since hewentto the electionswith one thingin mind,to become president, he did not acceptthe ideaof power sharing, there isgoneweapon in handin
the election, hence its failure.

His death wasthe
secondIndependence of Angola!

Ina word, he was moody,totallyMachiavellian, with some visible signs ofmadness invarious actions andextremely ambitious.
At his death, Angola has been at peace,
it was his second independencefromPortugaltornindependence
on November 11, 1975.

Who was reallyJonasMalheiroSavimbiSidonioSakaita?Sonof the pastor andstation
master, Lot MalheiroandHelenaMbunduSakatu, JonasMalheiroSidonioSakaitawas born inMunhangonear LusoinBie
provinceon August 3, 1934. In
1955, heattended high school at MaristBrothersCollege of Silva Bie-Porto, under
protectionof the brotherCordeiro.
On May 18 1958,thanks to ascholarshipgranted by theUnited Church of Christ, he went to Portugalto continuehis secondary educationat the LycéePassos Manuel of Lisbonfollowed by twoyears
ofmedical school.In October1959, hebecame a memberof the Movementfor the Independence ofPortuguese Coloniesand metAgostinhoNeto. In
February1960,he enrolled atthe Instituteof Social Sciences ofthe Faculty of Lawin Lausanne,
Switzerland.

His policywouldhave shockeddormantoutside Africa.In 1961,he joinedthe
People'sUnionAngola(U.P.A.)ancestor of theNational Front for theLiberation of Angola(F.N.L.A.) of HoldenRobertoand becameforeign
secretaryof the Angolanrevolutionary
governmentin exile(G.R.A.E.)
chaired byHoldenRoberto.He resigned on July 6, 1964and wentto finish his studiesin law andpolitical science at theUniversity of Lausanne, Switzerland. The
following year, he made a militarytraining coursein China. On March 13,1966, hecreates
at Muangaï(eastof
Angola), the National Union for theTotal Independence ofAngola (U.N.I.T.A.)with tenof his colleagues intheNanjingMilitary
Academy(China).On
December 25,1966, theU.N.I.T.A. began hisguerrillasattacking theBenguelarailwayinSouzaTexeira(current Luau) on the Congolese border.He settledin Zambia, whereopponents ofPresident KennethKaundahelp him to infiltratein Angola.

In 1968, he collaborated with the Portuguesepolitical police(P.I.D.E.) to fight their commonenemythe Popular Movementfor the Liberationof Angola (M.P.L.A.)
of Dr.AgostinhoNetoand the NationalLiberationFrontof Angola(F.N.L.A.)
of HoldenRoberto.Upon accessionof Angolato independence onNovember 11, 1975,U.N.I.T.A.leaves thenational
coalition government. He proclaimsin Huambowith the leaderof theF.N.L.A., HoldenRoberto, theDemocraticRepublic of Angolathat is notrecognized by the O.A.U..In January-February1976, hedeclared war against theM.P.L.A..With the help ofChina, France, Zaire (Congo-Kinshasa), the United States andSouth Africa, he conquers the3/4of the country andled
the warformany years.

On
February 8,1995, the O.N.U. send apeacekeeping
missionof peaceU.N.A.V.E.M.IIIcontribute to the implementationof the Lusaka Protocol. On June 30,1997,O.N.U. creating
the UnitedNations ObserverMission
inAngola (M.O.N.U.A.) responsible
for observingthe cease-fire thatdoes not comply withU.N.I.T.A..

On October 29, 1997, the U.N. .General
Assemblyvotedadditional
sanctionsagainst U.N.I.T.A.which
refuses totake part in theGovernment
of Unity andNational Reconciliation(G.U.R.N.). :Ban on
leaving thecountry for itsleaders,
closingits officesabroad..WhenU.N.I.T.A.is recognizedas a political partyby the government ofJosé Eduardo dosSantos onMarch 11, 1998,Savimbiqualifiestraitors,
dissidents of U.N.I.T.A.Renovatedcreated on September 2, 1998,thatpact withthe
power toLuanda.

The poweror the warto the death!

In December 1998, he resumed the waragainst the governmentof Luanda,rejecting theLusaka peaceplan.YetU.N.I.T.A.
had sevenministers in the governmentin Luandaand 70Members
of theAngolanParliamenthas 222deputies.On
December 2, 1999, the government brokeany dialoguewith U.N.I.T.A.and Parliamentcancelsthe
special status ofJonas Savimbiasthe national army(F.A.A.) is
launching a general offensive againsthis
rebellious.On
July 24,2000, aninternational arrest warrantwasissued against himfor "armed
rebellion crimes,sabotage andassassinations".In November1999, whenU.N.I.T.A. troopsare crushed by theAngolan Armed Forces(F.A.A.)andthey
losetheir strongholdsofBailundoandAndulo,
Savimbidriven from hisreinforcements in thenature reserve of
Luando in northeastof the province ofMalanje.On30 November 30, 2000, he denies the general amnesty lawfor him andhis men.OnAugust 21,
2001, the Angolan government wants to tryhimby an international courtfor "crimes againsthumanity".He was
killedin a clashbetween the
lastresidueof U.N.I.T.A.andthe Angolan Armed Forces(F.A.A.), on February 22, 2002atLuvueiinMoxico province.

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Born August 18, 1953 at Mugwata, North Kivu, DRC. Degree in History at the University of Lubumbashi. Degree in Development Studies at the University of Geneva. Author: République Démocratique du Congo. Les générations condamnées. Déliquescence d’une société pré-capitaliste (D.R.C.. Generations convicted) Publibook, Paris, 2006. L’Envers du parchemin (The other side of the parchment), novel, Publibook, Paris, 2006. Dictionnaire biographique des Africains (Biographical Dictionary of Africans), Editions Le Cri, Bruxelles, 2012. All his books have been published by NENA (Nouvelles Editions Numériques Africaines)and are available online now.